Echinacea Plant Named &#39;BullEchipur 109&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct variety of Echinacea plant having a compact growth habit and numerous, pink colored blooms.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application claims the benefit of priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/360,789, filed Oct. 28, 2021, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Botanical classification: Echinacea purpurea.

Varietal denomination: ‘BullEchipur 109’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Echinacea plant known by the varietal name ‘BullEchipur 109’. The new variety was discovered in August of 2019 in Gönnebeck, Germany as the result of a planned breeding program with the purposes of providing Echinacea plants with unique flower colors, a compact growth habit, increased branching, and more uniformity when compared to prior Echinacea plants. The new variety is the result of a cross between an unpatented Echinacea purpurea variety having an internal breeder's reference of “Bul 2015-11” (female parent) and an unpatented Echinacea purpurea variety having an internal breeder's reference of “Bul Mix 12-2016” (male parent) from the breeder's own collection. The new variety was first asexually reproduced via in-vitro tissue culture cuttings in Gönnebeck, Germany in September of 2019. The new variety is similar to its parental varieties in botanical classification, but exhibits a more compact growth habit, different flower color, and smaller leaves than both of its parental varieties. Further, ‘BullEchipur 109’ exhibits better branching than its female parent and more flowers than its male parent.

When ‘BullEchipur 109’ is compared to Echinacea purpurea variety named ‘Amazing Dream’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,019), ‘BullEchipur 109’ is similar to ‘Amazing Dream’ in botanical classification and flower color, but ‘BullEchipur 109’ exhibits a more compact growth habit with increased branching, more flowers, and smaller leaves that distinguish it from ‘Amazing Dream’. Further, the following characteristics distinguish ‘BullEchipur 109’ when generally compared to other Echinacea varieties known to the breeder:

-   -   Pink flower color;     -   High flower number per plant;     -   A very compact and uniform growth habit;     -   High branching;     -   Fast crop time; and     -   Small leaves.         The new variety has been trial and field tested and has been         found to retain its distinctive characteristics and remain true         to type through successive asexual propagations. The present         invention has not been evaluated under all possible         environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary with variations         in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying photographic drawing illustrates the new variety at 22 weeks of age, with the color being as nearly true as is possible with color illustrations of this type:

FIG. 1 shows an entire plant of the new variety.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

The following detailed description sets forth the characteristics of the new variety as the result of asexual reproductions performed via in vitro tissue culture cuttings carried out in Gönnebeck, Germany. Plants of the new variety were grown outdoors in 19 cm (3 liter) pots under normal field production conditions, and the color readings and measurements were observed outdoors under natural light on 22 week old plants in Gönnebeck, Germany. Color references are primarily to the 2015 R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society of London, Sixth Edition, except where terms of ordinary significance are used.

-   Plant:     -   -   Time to initiate roots.—About 7 days at approximately 19-20°             C.         -   Time to develop roots.—About 40-50 days at approximately 18°             C.         -   Time to produce a finished flowering plant from a rooted             cutting.—About 12-14 weeks in a 19 cm container.         -   Rooting habit.—Exhibits numerous roots that are freely             branching and healthy in appearance.         -   Plant height.—45.0-50.0 cm.         -   Plant width.—30.0-40.0 cm.         -   Habit.—Upright, compact, and uniform growth with numerous             branches.         -   Disease/pest resistance.—Nothing unusual noted to date.         -   Temperature tolerance.—Nothing unusual noted to date.         -   Drought tolerance.—Average.         -   Branches (flowering stems): Number per plant: 20-35. Length:             20.0-30.0 cm. Diameter: 3.0-10.0 mm. Internode length:             1.0-5.0 cm. Angle: Upright and outward. Strength: Strong.             Texture: Pubescence present. Color: Close to Yellow-Green             Group RHS 146A.         -   Foliage.—Arrangement: Single. Leaf: Length: 4.0-15.0 cm.             Width: 1.0-5.0 cm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acuminate. Base:             Attenuate to acute. Margin: Entire. Aspect: Straight to             curved. Texture: Upper surface: Rough. Lower surface: Rough.             Color: Young leaves: Upper surface: Close to Green Group RHS             137A. Lower surface: Close to Green Group RHS 137C. Mature             leaves: Upper surface: Close to Green Group RHS 137A. Lower             surface: Close to Green Group RHS 137C. Petiole: None             present. Veins: Venation type: Cross-venulate to             longitudinal. Color: Upper surface: Close to Yellow-Green             Group RHS 145A. Lower surface: Close to Yellow-Green Group             RHS 145B. -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Bud.—Diameter: 1.0-3.0 cm. Length: 1.3-2.0 cm. Color: Close             to Green Group RHS N137C.         -   Appearance.—Elliptic-shaped ray florets and tubular-shaped             disc florets.         -   Natural flowering season.—Flowering occurs from             July-September in Gönnebeck, Germany, beginning             approximately 12-14 weeks after planting.         -   Average number of inflorescences per plant.—20-35.         -   Average number of inflorescences per branch.—1-2.         -   Disc and ray floret arrangement.—Disc florets are arranged             in the middle of the receptacle of the composite, single,             freely flowering plant, with ray florets extending outwardly             therefrom.         -   Fragrance.—Unchanging.         -   Inflorescence.—Diameter: 4.0-8.0 cm. Height (depth):             2.0-3.5 cm. Diameter of disc: 1.5-3.0 cm. Receptacle height:             1.0 cm. Receptacle diameter: 1.5-3.5 cm.         -   Ray florets.—Number per inflorescence: 18-25. Arrangement:             In two or three whorls. Length: 1.6-3.0 cm. Width:             0.9-1.5 cm. Shape: Elliptical. Apex: Obtuse. Base: Acute.             Margin Entire. Texture: Upper surface: Smooth and glabrous.             Lower surface: Rough. Color: When opening: Upper surface:             Close to Red-Purple Group RHS 63A. Lower surface: Close to             Red-Purple Group RHS 63C. At maturity: Upper surface: Close             to Red-Purple Group RHS 63B. Lower surface: Close to             Red-Purple Group RHS 63C. Ground color description: Close to             Red-Purple Group RHS 63A. Venation: Appearance: Parallel.             Color: Upper surface: Same color as the florets. Lower             surface: Same color as the florets.         -   Disc florets.—Number per inflorescence: Numerous; too many             to quantify. Arrangement: In the center of receptacle.             Length: 8.0-15.0 mm. Width: 1.0-2.0 mm. Shape: Tubular.             Apex: Pointed. Color: Immature: Close to Red-Purple Group             RHS 61A. At maturity: Close to Red-Purple Group RHS 61A.         -   Phyllaries.—Number per inflorescence: 40-50. Arrangement: In             three to four whorls. Length: Approximately 1.0 cm. Width:             2.0-4.0 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Elongated oval. Base:             Fused. Margin: Entire. Texture: Upper surface: Rough. Lower             surface: Rough. Color: Immature: Upper surface: Close to             Green Group RHS NN137C. Lower surface: Close to Green Group             RHS NN137C. At maturity: Upper surface: Close to Green Group             RHS NN137C. Lower surface: Close to Green Group RHS NN137C.         -   Reproductive organs.—.         -   Androecium.—Presence: On disc florets. Number (per floret):             One. Filament length: 1.0-2.0 mm. Filament color: Red-brown.             Anther: Shape: Oval. Length: 1.0 mm. Color: Red-brown.             Pollen: Color: Close to Yellow-Orange Group RHS 15B. Amount:             Plentiful—too much to quantify.         -   Gynoecium.—Presence: In disc and ray florets. Pistil length:             1.0-2.0 mm. Stigma: Shape: Two-parted. Color: Red-brown.             Style: Length: 1.0-2.0 mm. Color: Red-brown.         -   Seeds.—Overall size: 1.0-2.0 mm. 

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of Echinacea plant named ‘BullEchipur 109’, as is herein illustrated and described. 